Selection rules in a strongly coupled qubit-resonator system

Superconducting qubits acting as artificial two-level atoms allow for controlled variation of the symmetry properties which govern the selection rules for single and multiphoton excitation. We spectroscopically analyze a superconducting qubit-resonator system in the strong coupling regime under one- and two-photon driving. Our results provide clear experimental evidence for the controlled transition from an operating point governed by dipolar selection rules to a regime where one- and two-photon excitations of the artificial atom coexist. We find that the vacuum coupling between qubit and resonator can be straightforwardly extracted from the two-photon spectra where the detuned two-photon drive does not populate the relevant resonator mode significantly.

Phase-Coherent Dynamics of a Superconducting Flux Qubit with Capacitive-Bias Readout

We present a systematic study of the phase-coherent dynamics of a superconducting three-Josephson-junction flux qubit. The qubit state is detected with the integrated-pulse method, which is a variant of the pulsed switching DC SQUID method. In this scheme the DC SQUID bias current pulse is applied via a capacitor instead of a resistor, giving rise to a narrow band-pass instead of a pure low-pass filter configuration of the electromagnetic environment. Measuring one and the same qubit with both setups allows a direct comparison. With the capacitive method about four times faster switching pulses and an increased visibility are achieved. Furthermore, the deliberate engineering of the electromagnetic environment, which minimizes the noise due to the bias circuit, is facilitated. Right at the degeneracy point the qubit coherence is limited by energy relaxation. We find two main noise contributions. White noise is limiting the energy relaxation and contributing to the dephasing far from the degeneracy point. 1/f-noise is the dominant source of dephasing in the direct vicinity of the optimal point. The influence of 1/f-noise is also supported by non-random beatings in the Ramsey and spin echo decay traces. Numeric simulations of a coupled qubit-oscillator system indicate that these beatings are due to the resonant interaction of the qubit with at least one point-like fluctuator, coupled especially strongly to the qubit.